Rebuild
by curiousmeem
Summary: Helga comes back from college a few years older and wiser with one mission in mind: to rebuild Hillwood. The summer before fifth grade she promised Arnold that things would get better and now she's going to make that promise come true.
1. Promise

Title: **Rebuild  
**Author: **CuriousMeem  
**Character and/or Pairings: **Helga, Arnold  
**Rating: G  
Prompt: **"This fall, I will rebuild my city."**

Disclaimer: "Hey Arnold!" is property of Craig Bartlett and Nickelodeon. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction.

"Somebody has too."-Arnold

---

"This fall, I will rebuild my city."

The man sitting behind the Maplewood desk raised an eyebrow at the young girl's bold statement. He gazed down at the paperwork in front of him, shuffled it and raised his gaze to her again. He let out a little cough.

"Ahh, I see… So Miss," another quick glance in front of him, "Miss Pataki, how exactly do you plan on doing that?" The young woman sent him a small smile and a slow nod. The white patent leather heel on her right foot stopped drifting up and down and slid onto the floor as she straightened her back. She leaned forward in her crisp pink skirt suit and jacket and began talking. As the man listened to her, he leaned back in his overstuffed black leather chair and tapped his pen against his armrest in concentration. He swiveled his chair around and looked outside the window as she smoothly continued to present. As her speech came to end, he stood up and walked towards the glass. Towards the left, he could see bustling streets; the financial district was a hive of activity. Men in expensive suits clutched bulging suitcases as they walked in and out of glass and steel skyscrapers. Women clip clopped through revolving doors as they opened and closed cell phones in one hand and swung purses on their other arms. His gazed scanned across the panorama. Just two and a half streets away he was met with a completely different scene. As the clouds rolled across the sky, the executive looked at the debacle below. Brownstones and red bricks seemed to sag towards the ground. Alleys sprouted out of cracked gray sidewalks and garbage spilling out of sewers completed the drab atmosphere. Women clutching crying children sped through the streets. A child gazed at loose papers blowing in the wind, and a slight flame coming out of a shiny, aluminum cylinder warmed the hands of a scruffy beggar in a threadbare puffer jacket.

The man drew in a deep breath. Slowly his gray slacks swiveled to look at the young woman. The girl's blonde hair settled around her shoulders as she drew herself up from the red chair. She stood at her full height. The man gazed at her from head to toe with a contemplative expression. He nodded once. She beamed and squared her shoulders after pulling her pink pencil skirt to her slender knees.

"Okay Miss Pataki. You have a deal. You'll get the grant." The man outstretched a perfectly manicured hand attached to an almost gaudy Rolex watch.

Helga, sighing in relief, entwined her fingers in his. Her blonde hair settled forward onto her shoulders as she leaned towards the old gentleman. Her French manicured fingers pumped his hand up and down twice. Her handshake was strong, but not overbearing. Her gaze was determined, and her thoughts were already elsewhere—calculating, organizing, tallying and planning.

She grabbed her black over-sized bag and turned to leave. She strode forward, and paused with a hand on the door frame. A gold band around her wrist sparkled as she half-turned around. She gave the man a friendly smile. Her blond hair swished smoothly with her movements. Her blue eyes shone sincerely and she spoke softly.

"Thank you." The older man folded his hands on the black portfolio resting on the Maple-wood table.

"You're welcome." However, the woman was already gone and the man tilted his salt and pepper hair forward, alone in his office he loosened his yellow silk tie.

* * *

Arnold's blonde hair ruffled in the breeze as he looked out an open window on the aquamarine bus he rode.

"Hey Arnold, you cool man?" Gerald's block of hair swung back and forth, as he turned to his best friend.

"Huh?" Surprise colored Arnold's eyes as he stopped daydreaming. "Sorry, what'd you say Gerald?"

"Nothing man. This is my stop. Catch you later." The boy shook his head in exasperation as he rang the bell. His lanky form strolled down the aisle and departed down the rubber covered stairs. "Thanks Murray," he waved at the bus driver before beginning his trek home. Arnold sighed, and watched the white 33 disappear behind the door, as the bus rose up with a whoosh of air and began driving down the street.

Arnold went back to reminiscing about the fights with Scheck and FTi. The football headed boy sighed as he watched the crumbling infrastructure of the city blocks roll by. _'Maybe _Scheck_ was right. Maybe, we should have all moved and let him rebuild the neighborhood.' _None of the destroyed areas, apart from the highway strip, were commissioned to be rebuilt by the Mayor. Despite the fact that city officials deemed the boarding house and the neighborhood historic sites, nothing had come out of it apart from stalling Scheck's plans. Business to this sector of city was only decreasing. The buildings, which were already in a dilapidated state, began rotting away. One of the schools had closed due to asbestos and the infamy of the Sewer King only added at the hesitation of realtors to invest new business in the area.

Arnold let out a heavy sigh and grabbed his backpack. The boy walked off the bus in a slow manner. Down the street, under the lamps, past the whizzing cars, he walked and walked and walked. Until silently, he slid across the rough warped park bench. Turning his head to the right he looked at the girl in familiar pigtails.

"Hey Helga," he sighed dejectedly.

Curiously, the girl peeked out of a closed eye at him. She had been sitting in sun and silence, with the chilly breeze rustling her pink dress. Her foot stopped tapping. Noticing his sadness, she unhitched the ankle arrogantly thrown over her knee, but did not close the arms thrown over the sides of the park bench. She always sat like that, like she owned the world. And even though she didn't she owned her space and her thoughts and that was all she needed.

"What's up, Football Head?"

"Helga, do you think we did the right thing by stopping FTi?"

"What do you mean?" Helga peered at Arnold inquisitively, this time facing him fully. His eyes strayed to her face.

"I." He gulped loudly. "I mean nothing's gotten better. Yeah, it's great that we didn't have to move out, the boarding house is still open and people's business and schools are still running but look around. You can still see the crumbled buildings where Scheck and his thugs left their traces. No new businesses have opened up and more and more houses are up for sale. There are more and more people moving out than moving in."

Helga's face flashed with awareness, and shock, and melancholy and too many emotions for even her to comprehend. Arnold however, did not notice. The boy with corn colored hair absently stared at the top of his black shoes and continued to ramble on.

"And look at P.S. 118. The classrooms used to be full, over capacity, not a spare desk in the room. Now, now, 's class has four or five empty desks and the grades are getting smaller and smaller. Sure, none of the gang has moved out but it's only a matter of time. Everything's falling apart—even Gerald field—and I doubt in the long run people will want to stay behind."

"Arnold." Helga spoke delicately and without sarcasm. She knew she would have to tread lightly lest she hurt his feelings. She recalled when she had had to comfort him on this very same bench, with this very same tree behind her as he spilled his feelings for Lila out in the open.

"Yes, I do think we did the right thing." Arnold lifted his gaze to look at her. "Of course I think we did the right thing, and yeah maybe it seems like everything's getting worse but it will get better."

Doubt still radiated off his shoulders. "Really, Helga?" The world outside of their bubble continued to revolve. Children tossed frisbees, dogs sniffed for areas to relieve themselves at, and old couples hobbled through the park. Arnold seemed oblivious to it all. Helga, on the other hand, looked around deep in thought. He didn't mind waiting for her. She bit her tongue before deciding to trudge on.

" As a matter of fact yes, Arnold-o I do. I can't say for sure that everything is going to be perfect, but this is Hillwood, it wasn't that great to begin with. On top of that we're 5th graders for crying out loud! We shouldn't be worrying about this kind of stuff. Besides, Football Head not everything is going to be the same forever."

"That's true." Helga slightly smiled and tilted her head.

"Besides, Arnold. We're growing up. Things change, people change, and places change. As much as it hurts, and sucks its true." The girl began to swing her legs back and forth. Her white shoes disappeared and reappeared under the park bench and in front of Arnold's gaze. The boy sat contemplatively. After a few moments Helga's white shoe nudged Arnold's black sneaker. He looked at it in surprise. Silently she moved across the bench to sit in contact with him. Her bare arms grazed his blue sweater and her left foot hooked and kicked the inside of his right foot lightly. She offered the boy a smile. Arnold blinked in surprise, and soon his cheeks colored red. Helga's face began to match her dress when she recalled her rooftop confession.

"I suppose you're right Helga." Dusk started to roll in. Oranges, gold tones, and red hues colored the sky against the cityscape. The temperature dropped and people started to rush home from the park. Helga stood up and offered Arnold a hand. He grabbed her outstretched fingers, in his mind he was surprised at how soft her cool fingers were.

"Alright, Hair Boy I've got to go or Big Bob's going to flip." She slid the straps of her backpack across her shoulders and began to look ahead.

"Hey, Helga! Can I walk you home?" Arnold watched her retreating form. She stopped for a second. Arnold didn't hesitate. He ran to catch up with the willowy and often clumsy girl.

"Whatever floats your boat." The pair walked out of the lush park and onto the city streets as the sun continued to drop in the sky.

Arnold watched a piece of paper tumble across his line of vision and onto the scum-slicked street before it attached itself to the windshield of a speeding dusty blue car.

"Helga?" The girl, that stood a head above the boy, peered down. "Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime bucko." Arnold came to a halt on the corner where they were supposed to part. Helga turned to look at him. He wrapped his arms around her waist. Helga tensed in surprise. After squeezing with all his might, he let her go. She stared in surprise. Her family had never been one for affection, and even though he had done it before he still surprised her every time he touched her.

"No, I mean thanks for being honest. Anyone else would have sugar-coated their answer or dodged my question. Gramps probably would have just said something like _'Shortman, all I know is that you should never eat raspberries.'" _

After hesitating for a moment, Helga grabbed him again. She whispered, "I promise everything will get better Arnold." She turned and walked quickly away from him. Both their hearts were still thumping rapidly. Arnold drew in a deep breath. After considering whether to go after her or not he simply turned left and continued to walk home with a smile on his face. Helga's pink ribbon blew in the breeze as her fast steps lead her to the door of her home. With trembling fingers, she unlocked the door with a rusty gold key and light flooded into the dim foyer as the door swung open.

* * *

Red carpet muffled the sound of the white patent heels as slim legs approached the spotless silver elevator. People looked up from their cubicles as they watched the unfamiliar woman get in. Silver doors shut tight, and the green and pastel walls covered in sophisticated wallpaper surrounded her. Her triumphant smile shone back at her from the polished doors as Helga outstretched a white sleeve from gripping her black leather-bowling bag shaped purse to lighting the small smooth button. Her index finger pushed down on the button to the first floor. On her other arm hung her pink suit jacket with brown trim.

Her white ruffled shirt and pink pencil skirt only succeeded in drawing more attention to her in stiff business atmospheres. In a sea of blacks and navy blues, her hues of salmon, rose and peach made her unique. Only more shocking than her attire was her ruthless and efficient work ethic that always guaranteed her success.

Helga G. Pataki's star had been on the rise since her days in college. The young women somewhere in her twenties made her journey out onto the Chicago streets.

As the wind blew her blonde hair behind her, she strode purposefully forward. Unbeknownst to her the man she had just met with watched through his window, full of curiosity and expectations as she walked away.

'_Arnold, I promised everything will get better. And, that's a promise I intend to keep. This fall, I will rebuild my city.' _

'_This fall, I will rebuild us.' _

_**So what do you guys think? Should I leave it as a oneshot or continue on? Originally, I got this from a prompt on livejournal for prompts. (I'm not really sure if it counts a response to prompts or not. Oh wells. All feedback is greatly appreciated, especially considering this is my first fic on ) **_

_**Thanks, and until next time. CuriousMeem  
**_


	2. Encounter

With a ding, the STOP light lit as Helga stood up and walked towards the back of the bus. As she tightened the grip around her black purse, the wheels of the bus began to roll away. Helga walked out from under the grungy bus stop to the cracked steps that led up to her door. Standing on the threshold, she dug through contents of her bag in quick, short gestures until her fingers hooked on the cold metal of her keys. Pulling the keys out she swiftly stepped into the interior of the decrepit building and flicked the lights on.

Big Bob Pataki wasn't home from work yet, and Miriam was snoring on the kitchen table nursing a "smoothie." Helga let out a sigh and placed her keys on a small coffee table next to the door.

"Sheesh." She frowned while trailing a finger through the dust on the vase on top of the table that held withered flowers. "When was the last time these were replaced? 1869?"

She stepped out of her patent pumps and jogged up the stairs and down the hall into her room. Peeling pink wallpaper and moth-eaten sheets greeted her as she threw her purse and jacket on a chair.

A few hours later, in a pair of shiny silver sneakers, pink shorts, a tight ponytail and white short sleeved shirt, she ran quickly down the stairs again. The white railing next to her looked rotten and she kept her hands off it in disgust, and caution. Helga eclipsed the short distance between the stairs and the kitchen before opening the fridge. She was greeted with a block of cheese, old pasta, and half-empty bottles of ketchup, Dijon mustard, and peanut butter. Helga threw a glance at the dirty dishes in the sink, and opened the cupboards in search of a water bottle. Finding nothing but cobwebs and dead flies, she began to shake Miriam.

"Miriam. Miriam. Miriam! Wake up!" Her voice steadily increased until she saw Miriam's groggy, bloodshot eyes open. The mug she was holding wobbled in her hands.

"Ohhh." Miriam moaned with the vestiges of a hangover throbbing at the base of her head. It took her a moment to register the blonde standing in front of her with her arms crossed.

"Oh, Helga. You're home. Wow, you sure have grown. Are you hungry? I'm sure there's some pizza in the freezer or something. I can make you dinner if you want." Miriam slowly began to stand up. Helga put her hand on her shoulder. After biting her lip in anger and frustration, she began to speak.

"Look Miriam, don't worry about it. I had some food on the way home. I'm going for a jog around the neighborhood I just wanted to let you know I'm here. When does Big Bob get home?" She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Uhhh. He shouldn't be home for a couple of hours. I think he just left for work. He won't be back until 7." Helga glanced at the dull tick tock of the clock hanging off the purple wall. 4:45. Plenty of time.

"Fine. I'll be back before then." Miriam nodded groggily, before laying her head back on her arms.

"Oh, and by the way there are no water bottles here, so I'm taking some money out of your wallet to do some shopping." Helga called out from the living room. She grabbed the little purple purse strewn across the sofa.

"Sure, honey." Miriam's dazed gaze strayed towards the door.

Helga called out while opening and closing the front door. "And do the dishes, why don't you woman!"

Miriam looked around; she seemed surprised to notice the garbage and old food laying everywhere.

* * *

_Sunset Arms, Boarding House. _

Arnold, now in his twenties too, walked out of the boarding house with his hands in his pockets. "Grandpa, I'm off to buy some groceries."

"Alright, Shortman."

Arnold wore jeans and a red collared polo shirt covered with a light blue sweater, his outfit was a hark back to the childish clothes he used to wear. He slipped his hands into his pockets as he whistled a tune and greeted neighbors. On his left was Green Meats. It had become a franchise run by Harold as everyone else attended college. It was the biggest supplier of meat in the tri-state area and the number one exporter in the U.S. On his right was the slightly out of shape van of the Jolly Ollie man. Screaming kids flocked the window of the ice cream truck as the aged man doled out sweets.

Wiping his feet on one of those dirty rubber mats Arnold stepped through the sliding doors and into the air-conditioned interior of the supermarket. After slowly making his way through the aisles, Arnold approached the register only to be greeted by the back of an impatient blonde woman.

"Criminey, can't you speed it up a little. We haven't got all day!" The woman spat out at the acne-ridden teenage cashier that resembled an older, oilier version of Eugene. In a nasally voice the teenager responded "Ma'am, please wait your turn, and don't forget to place a plastic divider between your groceries and the groceries of the person behind you."

Helga rolled her eyes and abruptly grabbed a little black rod. She slammed down at the end of her groceries and threw a glare at the man behind her. "Problem, bucko?"

Arnold only tilted his head back and smiled widely. "No Helga. It's nice to see you're as charming as ever."

He started to pull out his keys for the "Shoppers Discount Card," and let her process his statement.

Helga's jaw fell open. "Look her—Ar? Arnold?" She'd trailed off when her eyes widened in recognition. "Arnold! What're you doing here?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Same thing as you are. I hope." He pointed at the objects between them. "Grocery shopping." She blushed, before huffing and taking a deep breath. Slowly, she did a double take.

"Wait. What's wrong with your head?" She blushed even redder when she realized what she'd said. Her hand quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry. That was rude."

Arnold was still chuckling at her statement. He almost couldn't believe that she was still the same Helga Pataki after all the years.

"No offense taken. It's called a growth spurt. I grew into my head during college." She blinked rapidly, let out an ohh, nodded and turned around to face the cashier.

"That'll be 72.56" The freckled boy stretched out a sweaty palm. Helga slapped a hundred dollar bill onto it.

"Soooo. Helga…no unibrow?" His joking tone betrayed his humor.

"Yeah, Football Face it's called tweezers." Arnold smirked, thought '_That's a new one," _and let the conveyor belt push his groceries forward. Helga began bagging her food. Arnold began to dig into his pockets for money while watching the total increase. Helga took the opportunity to discretely stretch her arms over her head and yawn. She sniffed her armpit as quietly as possible and let out a silent sigh in relief. '_Oh. Thank God I don't smell terrible.' _Her feet throbbed and the back of her shorts stuck to her thighs. She hadn't run so hard and fast in quite a while.

He caught her motions out of the corner of his eye, smirked but said nothing. He quickly handed the cashier his money and walked over to begin bagging his groceries so that she wouldn't be able to run away.

"So Helga, how are you? What brings you back to Hillwood?"

"Oh, so now you ask Foo—Arnold." He raised his eyebrows in surprise but kept double bagging. "Well, actually I'm in town on a little business." Helga wrapped her fingers around the handle of the plastic bags. She braced herself for the weight, what would undoubtedly be a lack of circulation, and grabbed more and more bags until she was laden with all her packages.

"Need any help?" Arnold was glancing at her inquisitively. In her head, Helga, made a biting remark about gender assumptions and the depth of her strength, but outwardly, she bit her lip and shook her head.

"No thanks Arnold. Look, sorry if I was testy. I'm in a rush, I'm hungry and Big Bob is getting home soon. I want to cook dinner to make my stay as pleasant and as short as possible." Helga let out a shaky smile and began to leave.

"Okay, I understand." Arnold was walking beside her. "Look Helga," they were about to head in opposite directions. "I'm glad you're back. Good luck with everything. I know that being home mustn't be the best experience for you, but hey at least it's a home to come back too."

'_I see he's still Shines Out of My Ass. I better say something before he gets into a whole schpiel .' _Helga grimaced in what was her attempt at a smile. "Arnold. I know. I'll see you later. Hillwood's great. If you're not busy we can meet up some time and catch up."

"Sure, sure. That sounds good." Helga had already begun walking away.

'_Thank gosh he fell for that. Bob's gonna murder me. I better get back. Then again…' _She hesitated for a second. "Hey! Football Head! Arnold!" Arnold turned to look at her. She was halfway down the block. She put her groceries down on her stoop and quickly walked back to him.

Out of breath she stated, "Give me your cell phone." Puzzled, he handed it over. She clicked a few numbers. "Here's my number. If you really want to catch up some time give me a call." Helga handed the phone back to him, as Arnold stared at her in surprise. She let out a breath, there was a slight sheen on her forehead and her hair was falling messily out of her ponytail but she looked charming nonetheless as she smiled at him. "And Arnold, it really was a pleasure seeing you today. I'm happy we bumped into each other." He smiled back at her. For a split second, she wrapped her arms around his neck and his groceries swung into her hips but by the time, he had realized what happened she was gone. _'Did I just do that? Whatever.' _

Letting out a stream of obscenities she ran back to her stoop and fumbled for her keys. She gave him a short, clipped wave and began to take her bags inside. Arnold, dazed, turned to leave. He only had one thought running through his head.

'_She's really weird.'_

_

* * *

_

_**Hey Peeps,**_

_**That's chapter 2. Sorry that it's shorter than chapter one, but at this point I ran out of steam and just wanted to get it out there. It's about 4:17 a.m., and I'm wondering why I always publish at such crazy hours.**_

_**I had difficulty with the interactions between Helga and Arnold in this chapter and I don't think I'm fully pleased with the way this came out. I might at some point come back and re-edit it. Some of their characterization is due to the fact that yes, they've come a long way since they were 9, but they're still not as mature as I hope they will be by the end of this story. However they do have more growing to do, especially together. If you have any critiques don't be afraid to let me know. I'm not sure how much of my dissatisfaction is because I feel like I'm not writing this well, or because I don't want to rush and change their personalities overnight. Tell me what you guys think, especially the more experienced writers out there. I'd really appreciate advice.  
**_

_**As a novice writer I'm finding it difficult to think of ways of integrating the rest of the cast of Hey Arnold. The show has such a dynamic set of personalities that I think it would be a waste (and a bit tiring) to just focus on Helga and Arnold. There's also their relationships with their families. They're in their twenties at least something must have changed. **_

_**Most of all my biggest challenge is getting into Arnold's head. Helga is an easier person to portray because she's always had the opposite problem. She feels too much. She gives you more than enough to work with, and even writing with her is emotionally draining sometimes because she's malleable like Playdough. Arnold on the opposite hand, **__**(at least to me) **__**is more of a Rubik's cube. Yes, he certainly feels but ho**_

_**w mature vs how dense is he? Is he too optimisitc? Too kind? I know there's more to him than his kindness, and I know somewhere he's not just some perfect do-gooder and doesn't always enjoy being the angel--sometimes he even resents its, but how do I bring that out? Like I said before I'm afraid to jump too much ahead. I'm also afraid to keep them too immature for too long. There are so many facets to their personalities and its only by bringing these sides out and weaving them together that I think we can truly understand who Helga and Arnold are. **_

_**Last but not least I'm afraid of being cliche, even though I know to a certain extent I am. Anyway, sorry for the novel guys. This note is almost as long, if not longer than my story. ;) Just wanted to let you know what's running through my head if you're interested, and where I want to take this without giving too much away. Any, and all advice, and critiques are extremely appreciated. If anyone wants to brainstorm with me, or send me a longer message/review PM me please. I'd love that. :) **_

_**I apologize in advance for any grammatical mistakes I've made. I edited this tonight, but I'm afraid I didn't catch all the flaws. I'll go through it again tomorrow and see what I find. **_

_**3 Curious Me Em**_

_**P.S. I'll be writing and releasing a one-shot soon titled Dys*function-al, or something along those lines. It'll, of course, be about Helga and Arnold and their dysfunctional relationship. Oh, and for those I confused in chapter 1, I apologize. I'll try making the scense switches clearer. In case you couldn't tell the man at the office Helga was talking too wasn't Arnold. It was just some rich old fart.  
**_


	3. Work

Rebuild Chapter Three: Work

**A/N: **Excuse the short format, I'm working on TextEdit rather than Microsoft Word and thus am learning to still format and organize what I want to write.

* * *

_Helga sat on her bed knees together, heels pressed against one another and knuckles gripping the edge of her mattress. For once great big, glopping, silent tears rolled down her cheeks. They didn't roll down her face smoothly, in fact the tears were like staccato piano notes hitting the baby fat curves of her cheeks and nose every other second. Memories replayed over and over in her head._

_**The football headed boy in his teens sat fingers crossed in front of her. **_

_**"Wow, Are you really going to act like that?"**_

_**"Like what?"**_

_**"The jealous ex." Shock registered on her face. 'Am I really acting that way? Is that all I am now--an ex not a friend or more? I can't do this. It's not right. Why am I treating him this way? Helga, ol' girl just breathe. Helga, breathe. Helga. Helga. Helga.' **_

_**"I." The girl breathed in a racking, heavy, shivering breathe. She smiled a smile for his benefit. The smile was tight against her mouth and eyes, but didn't reach her furrowed brow. "I'm sorry, Arnold. Please, keep telling me more."**_

_**"Well, Gerald and I are doing intramural baseball again." **_

_**"Hey, yeah Arnold, I think Phoebe is coming down in two weeks to see him. We should all hang out, it'll be like old times." **_

_**"Yeah....," he threw her a half-patronizing, half-sincere smile. "Maybe."**_

_**After a few more awkward minutes of stilted conversation Helga said her goodbyes and walked back into her dormitory. She sat at the edge of her bed and let go.**_

_Helga breathed in. She laid down on the bed and continued crying. She pulled the blanket and wrapped it around her like a cocoon-over the top of her head and around her whole body. _

_Phoebe walked in with a suitcase clutched against her tiny frame. The smile disappeared from her face and she quickly ran over to Helga. Her small warm hand rubbed against the girl's back. The sobs were renewed._

_"Oh, Helga." She sighed in comfort and understanding. She squished herself into the tiny bed and rested her head against the girl's back. The rumbling cries vibrated against her head._

_"It's okay. Shhhh, dear. It's okay." The sun descended and the two best friends laid in bed with the soft humming of the television sometimes in the background. As the moon rose the silence descended and the taller, lanky girl gave into sleep. The asian young woman occasionally moved to use the bathroom, or micorwave some tea and prepare food. However, at the end of the day she fell asleep just holding her best friend and spiritual sister. _

_---_

"See ya' later Pataki!" A slick politician held the large glass door open for Helga.

The blond woman exited down the stairs of city hall. Each step made an audible and intimidating clomp against the marble steps. Her fists were clenched around her briefcase and her feet throbbed. She made it to the bus stop and stood drawn tightly against her somber dress suit.

A rusty green Packard drove by and then reversed. The passenger side door popped open and a blonde, fit man stared at the girl.

"Helga?"

"Arnold?"

"Helga, what are you doing here? Do you need a ride? I'm headed back to the boarding house and I can drop you off."

She threw a side-long glance at the deserted street to her left. There were no buses approaching. She quickly buckled herself in and closed the door.

"I, bucko, happen to work here."

"Wow, Helga that's pretty impressive." Arnold pulled away from the bus stop and continued driving. "What do you do?"

"A lot of things." Arnold threw her a smirk. She bit her lips and dropped the smartness. "Don't worry about it bucko. It's been a long day at the office and I just wanna leave that shit at the office." She kicked off her shoes and propped her stockinged feet on the dashboard.

Arnold wrinkled his nose. "Whatever you say, Helga."

"So, Arnold. Why are _you_ back in Hillwood?"

Arnold's fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

"Same reason, that you are. Business."

"Ah." She cocked her head back and closed her eyes. She was willing to let it go.

"....Of the family variety."

"Ooooh." Comprehension dawned on Helga's face.

"So, Helga. It's been a while hasn't it. Last time I saw you, we were at Gerald and Phoebe's wedding."

"Yeah." She sighed at the memories. "That was the most beautiful wedding I've ever seen."

Stopped at a light, Arnold thew her a sideways glance. "Yeah. I guess it was."

"Did you hear that Phoebe was just promoted. I think they're thinking about home-shopping soon."

Arnold's eyebrows raised. "Hmmm. That's nice. I hadn't heard that."

"You know, Miriam used to be a real estate agent. She was really good at it too. You know, before she....uhh...settled down. I don't know why she never went back to it. I think Big Bob wouldn't really stop her from doing it. She loved working. It was the only time that I saw her active."

Arnold nodded. Helga sighed.

"I think that's a great thing. To find your passion and just do it. The money will follow.."

"Or so they say. Stupid fucking optimistic unrealistic bullshit."

Arnold chuckled. The melancholy mood lifted. Helga shrugged, cracked her neck sideways and stretched her arms behind the headrest.

"I think we're here."

Arnold parked the car in front of Helga's house. Walked around the street to open the door for her. He grabbed her suitcase as Helga was busy slipping her shoes back on. Helga looked up to see him standing in front of the car door holding a hand out for her. She extricated her legs from the car. She smiled, but ignored his hand and get out without any help.

Helga made it up the stairs unlocked the door and took the suitcase from Arnold's outstretched hand.

Arnold turned on the ignition.

Helga turned with her hand on the knob.

"Hey! Arnold! Football head."

Arnold unrolled the car window. "Yea?"

She smiled radiantly.

"Thanks."

Arnold threw her a questioning glance. She disappeared into the house.

* * *

A/N: **Rather long delay. I apologize. This chapter is rather short, but I had to get something out there to get the creative juices flowing again. More tomorrow.**

**I am trying to convey from the flashback that this will not only be about Helga rebuilding Hillwood, and rebuilding her relationship with Arnold, but also her choice to rebuild herself. **

**Though I am sure Arnold and Helga's love is true, she must also love herself first and trust and be independent. She must complete herself before she can be with someone else. Something she has already started to do. Now...how do I show that? Lol. **


	4. Renewing Old Ties

**Rebuild Chapter 4**

Title: Reunion

Disclaimer: As always this a pure work of fiction based on the creative stylings of Craig Bartlett and Nickolodean. None of the characters are based on real people, the plot and dialouge are all mine.

**A/N: Just another short tidbit that will bring this thing together. Enjoy. **

**P.S. This one is for all the people that stop by and read this even if they don't comment. I love when you guys add this to your Story Alert because it just makes my day and inspires me to keep it coming.**

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Arnold walked into _Green's Meats_ and shook hands with Harold.

"Harold! How have you been?"

"Good, Arnold Good. Me and the Patty been working on making the shop bigger. Trying to sell Halal meats, and stuff like that." The bald, chubby, man with an overly sized tooth washed his hands, tightened his apron and began slicing a roasted ham. After struggling in high school, he had gone on to community college with the help of his tutor, Patty, in order to major in business and learn the in and outs of running the Deli. He had spent all of his years working with , and had taken over the shop when had taken a full-time position in office.

"How is Patty?"

"Patty, is great. I swear, Arnold I wouldn'ta been able to do any of this stuff without her. The girl is great. I mean she's smart, she's pretty. I don't deserve her. But anyway, what can I do for you? Want some ham, turkey, pork chops?"

"Actually, I think I'll take some ground beef. Grandma's been going through a Napolean phase, and craving some Lasagna."

"Your grandma is as kooky as ever isn't she?" Harold grabbed a slab of meet and began whirling the grinder with his left arm. "By the way, have you seen anyone else? Helga came in here a few days ago. Turns out, she and Patty have been good friends ever since the fourth grade. We ate a really nice lunch together, and then Helga actually started talking to me about some real interesting things. You know, regarding the deli and the neighborhood. "

"Yeah, I've run into her a couple of times. Haven't seen anyone else though. Running the boardinghouse takes up a lot of time."

"Hmm. Yeah, that place has been falling apart hasn't it? I tell you, Arnold things sure ain't the way they used to be."

"I know what you mean. What did Helga tell you about the neighborhood?"

"Hmm..well, something about how it's fallen apart. We also talked about everyone from our old school, and how some of us went into some of the same things our parents went into. Like Sheena, she works in Health and nursing just like her aunt. I think Helga, has some type of plan or idea about getting everyone to come to a reunion or something. I can't tell if it's just for fun, or for something more important. Things got too complicated for me to keep following along, even though I agree with her. Her and Patty kept talking for hours and I had to get back to the shop. Business has been tight, you know."

Harold smacked the meat onto a sheet of white paper and began wrapping it some tape.

"Hmmm. I wonder what she's up to. Sounds interesting." Arnold followed Harold to the register and pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

"I don't know, Arnold. Maybe you should talk to her about it. You know, you were always good at that type of stuff. Getting people together. All I know is that she's gonna help me and Patty with the shop. Gonna try to get us some more business, but also told us about maybe remodeling, expanding our markets, something like that."

Harold rung up Arnold on the dingy cash register and tied the meat packet up with some string.

"That sounds great, Harold." He handed over his money.

"Yeah, it does. But we'll see how things turn out. Helga's actually coming over later on today to talk about it more."

Harold handed Arnold his change and moved to wash his hands.

"Thanks Harold, keep me updated. I'll stop by again another time and maybe we can all get some coffee or something."

"Bye Arnold, see you later!" The bell rung as the door swung shut, and Harold walked to the back of the store and hugged his girlfriend.

"Patty, you'll never believe who just came by." The young woman looked up from the boxes she was unpacking and raised her eyebrows in questioning.

"Who, Harold?"

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Helga slipped her hands out of her pocket and walked out of the flower shop. She stuck the key into the ignition, turned the radio on and sped all the way to the airport.

After running into a store for a cup of coffee, she checked the timetables and made her way to the luggage area.

Wrestling with an oversized suitcase, a tiny asian woman stood at the closest conveyor belt.

"Phoebe, let me get that for you. And while you're at it start drinking." Helga snatched the suitcase, shoved the coffee her way and started walking towards the car.

"Drinking!"

Helga opened the trunk of her car, slid the suitcase in and turned around grinning widely.

"It's great to see you again Pheebs." The young woman was as petite and as stickly as usual. She threw her arms around Helga and hugged her tightly. Helga hugged her back.

The girls unrolled the windows, and enjoyed the crisp city air.

"So Pheebs, how's Tall Hair Boy? Still a chump?"

"Gerald is doing very well. I do believe he's up for a promotion soon. And things are so much better now that I've finished my internship."

"That's great. So, Phoebe apart from the copious amounts of girl time that we'll be spending together why else are you in Hillwood?"

"Why, Helga, what makes you believe that anything other than your darling presence brings me here?"

Helga cast Phoebe a knowing look. Their friendship had endured the test of time, it had matured in some places, yet remained the same in others. Throughout college, despite the distance, their friendship had only continued to grow stronger. The foundation of their friendship was their intimate but unvoiced understanding of each other's most private personality traits.

"Well, don't tell anyone this. Even Gerald hasn't been privy to what I'm about to tell you."

"On with it Phoebe, we don't have all day here."

"Well, you know how I've been shopping for houses with Gerald. It's been quite a mess thinking about a mortgage, children, long-term versus short-term investments, the costs of repairs etc... Not to mention we really have to consider that what we'll be living in won't just be a building, it will be an abode. A permanent one at that."

Helga nodded. Phoebe breathed in.

"I want to look at places in Hillwood. I think I want to move here."

Helga screeched the car to a stop. "Wait, what! Oh my! Phoebe!" She looked at her friend, they made eye contact and in a second later the girls were both screeching in unadulterated excitement.

"That's so great!" The girls bounced up and down in a hug. After a few moments of excitement Helga put the car into drive. The excitement and tension laced the inside of the car. "Wait, Phoebe, what about your career? You've been working so hard to get your license as a doctor, and Gerald. You don't know where his career is going. And why would someone as intelligent as you with so much earning potential want to work in a dump like this?"

"I know, Helga I know, believe me. That's one of the things that I've thought about the most. I'm just so nervous and excited to think about the future. I have so many big plans and ideas! And about my future, I figure if I want to be the head of a hospital within the next ten years, why not do it here. I grew up in Hillwood, which gives me a tangible tie to the community. On top of that all the other students from my classes in John Hopkins are trying to be doctors for the wrong reasons. They're all competing for jobs in New York City or in California. No one will try to get a job in a place like Hillwood, it's just not "in." Due to the high amounts of crime, and the lack of resources my skills will be in high demand, thus making me more of a commodity, even in this economy. "

"Wow, Pheebs, looks like you really know what you want, and where you're going."

"Indeed, Hela. Indeed."

The girls reached Helga's brownstone. In a knowing drawl, and placing a hand on her waist Helga stated, "We've got a lot to talk about."

"It's a good thing, I'll be here for two weeks."

"You know Pheebs, I'm meeting up for lunch with Sheena next week at the hospital. Why don't you come with me? This is perfect, it fits perfectly into all of my plans. And oh, the plans I have."

Phoebe smiled in helplessness. Helga had always been brilliant, manipulative and plotting, but brilliant nonetheless.

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**A/N: Don't worry peeps, things will start to make sense soon. :) Please leave me some feedback. 3 CuriousMeem**


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